The Opelousas courier., 1887-11-12
Il ARTERY,

Early on the morning of the coolest day
ever experienced 1 hparded the train ct Cot
ton Bloom, Intending to go oyer TO Riley's
Cove to transact business for the YeeSty PGt-
paper which | was at THAT time running, it l
may use such q swift term for such q slow
sheet, at Hogan's mill. In the battered coach
there were five Passengers and q box of live
taking home, Two of the passengers were
women. One ofrIheml, somewhat advanced
in years, took out a short black pipe soon af-
ter the train started and began to smoke.
though there We're ladies in the car, l would
not be compelled to forego the pleasure of
smoking. l lighted O cigar. Awoolly-look,
ing fellow, with eyes so WaterTy that they had
the appearance OF constant BAPTISM by I'M
mersion, approached me, and as he pointed
at my cigar said there were ladies present.
Eyes, +" l replied, ''and l see that one Of
them is smoking.n
THAT'S her lookout, " he rejoined.
Yes, and is it not my look-outif Ismoke?"
Whose is it, then?"
Mime"
Thinking that he must be joking, I smiled.
You neenter utter, :" said he. THAT lady
is my aunt, an the doctors have lowed that
smokin' III help her. She has to stand her
own smoke, but don't like 1t when it IN
He twisted the cigar ont Of my. mouth and
threw it on the floor. AT first | did not know
whether it was my mouth or the cigar that
had been thrown down. But l excused him.
L am not O carplng man, @ man to hold lgno-
rant. people responsible. l don't suppose
that he had ever read a line of what l had
written, nor contemplated one single link In
the vast chain of my thought. By this time
1 realized that | was nearly frozen. There
Was no stove in the car.
ductor7"
fire, or we couldn't raise steam, Think this
company wants to gun trains without steam ~
Shortly Rfterward theatrain stopped. I
noticed that all the passengers were getting
off.
I asked the conductor why he had stopped.
TO let the passengers warm themselves"
he replied. Think this company wants it's
passengers to freeze?
Hooked out and saw the passengers warm
ing themselves at o burning log-heap. l got
OF" 5.W VEL T's said t s5sS CONDUCTOR, glancing up
at the sun, its about time we Vas Sggin'
along. Everybody that's goin' my way,scome
ahead"
We had gone about ten nfsaes farther when
the train stopped again.
Fifteen minutes for warmth" a brake
man shouted, and looking out, [ saw that
the passengers were making a break for an
other burning log-heap.
The conductor, after timing himself by
the sun, called out;
well, feller-citizens, let's shove"
Hold on ~ said the woolly fellow, whose
ignorance i had generously excused. Il
have Jest put some pertaters in the fire to
roast, an if you won't be snatched, Well eat
a snack"
"'All right, " the conductor replied, well
wait, Sim, II addressing q brakeman; there's
q pone of co'n-bread under my seat, wrapped
up in q rag. Go and fetch it. Anybody got
n salt
Muir told me I'd better fetch some, but l
didn't low Id need it."
We ken git along without it," the con-
ductor CALAMITY replied, but | wish you had
took your mothers advice"
After eating a lunch of corn-bread and
roasted potatoes the conductor said that
wed better be knockin' along" When we
stopped at the next burning log-heap, | fell
into conversation with the conductor.
Who provides all these burning log
WY, the company, of course. Amt you
got no more. sense than to reckon this COM
pany wants it's Passengers to freeze Whar
wuZ you raised, anyhow"
But would it not be cheaper to haye stoves
in the cars "I asked.
LOOK here, do you think this company
stands back for a little expense7 You must
have been raised whar folks air stingy. Come
on, now,e everybody that wants to whiz over
the country with me-"
We reached Riley's Cove, which is only
about sixty miles froln Cotton Bloom, some
time Auring the night. l wish it to be dis
tincti Sundorstoed tnat | have not set this
down in malice, nor do | intend it to be a
howl against m%onopoiies. -Opie =. Read, IN
the dThU1SQfE YTQ TpNpJ..